Mechanism for operating sewing-machines



(No Model.)

G. W. ZEIGLBR. Mechanism for Operating Sewing Machines. "No. 232,522, Pat-ented sept. 2s,

' UNIT D STATES PATENT QFFICEO GEORGE W. ZEIGLER, OF TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING SEWING-,MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,622, dated September 28, 1880.

Application filed August 1' 7, 1880. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonen W. ZEIGLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county of Lenawee, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Operating Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for operating the driving-shaft of sewing-machines; and the objects of the improvements are, first, to provide means whereby the foot-piece can be braced upon a swinging support, and by means of the brace and holes in the swinging support can be adjusted to a greater or less inclination with respect to the floor upon which the machine rests, and thus be suited to the requirements of the operator; second, to provide means whereby the pitman can be attached to the wrist-pin and to the swinging supporting-bar of the foot-piece, and by means of notches in the pitman the swinging bar and its attached foot-piece can be moved nearer to or farther from the operators seat, and the machine thus be adjusted to the size or height of the operator; and, third, to provide two or more latching-pins upon the swinging bar, whereby the leverage afforded by said bar to the operator while revolving the driving-shaft can be increased or decreased, according to his or her size and strength. These objects I attain by the mechanism represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of a table or frame having my improved treadle-movement applied to it, the parts of the movement being shown in side elevationl Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the latching-pins and pitman.

The frame A and table B may be of any suitable construction adapted for supporting the driving-shaft O of a sewing-machine, and also the mechanism for revolving the same. On the driving-shaft O is mounted a balance wheel, D, having a crank-pin, c. If desired, a crank-arm instead of a balance-Wheel may be used, and the same be formed as part of or attached directly to the shaft 0.

To the wrist-pin a pitman, E, is loosely connected by its inner or rear end, 0, said pitman being connected by its front end, 0 to a pendent swingingbar, F, which is loosely connected to the under side of the table B, as indicated at j. The pitman E is provided at one end with a series of latching-notches, m, andwith a single similar latching-notch at the other end. These notched ends of the pitman are respectively provided with a spring latchingplate, m and by pressing this spring-plate away from the pitman, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the pitman can be latched upon the wristpin and upon a pin, m, provided upon the swinging bar F. A series of pins, m, are provided on the bar F, on either of which the pitman can be latched, accordingly as it is.

desired to have the leverage below the pivot j long or short. The pitman can have the wrist-pin c occupy either of the notches mon its inner or rear end, accordingly as it is desired to have the lower end of the bar-F stand nearer to or farther from the seat of the operator of the machine.

On the lower end of the bar F, and to a bracket, h, thereof, the foot-piece Gr of the treadle is pivoted at i. The foot-piece turns freely on the said pivot i, in order that it may be adjusted to different inclined positions with respect to the floor upon which the machine rests. The toe end of the foot-piece G is provided with a lug, g and to this lug an adjusting brace-rod, g, is loosely connected. This brace-rod is provided with a bent end, which fits in one or the other of a series of holes, it,

provided in the bar F, as shown.

By setting the end of the rod in a lower po sition than is represented, the toe end of the foot-piece will be depressed and the heel end elevated. The brace prevents the foot-piece turning upon the pivot 1' when in position, and also stays the foot-piece. The crank or Wrist pin is caused to revolve together with the balance-wheel and shaft 0 by swinging the bar F and foot-piece G back and forth.

In combination with the parts described I contemplate employing a pitman -rod, 9, (shown by dotted lines in the drawings,) and a series of adjusting-holes, y in the pitman, and by this construction the treadle move= ment can be operated with a swinging and upand-down motion of the foot-piece G by simply disconnecting the rod 9 from the bar H; and when said up-and-down movements of the foot-piece G are employed for moving the shaft 0, the wrist-pin 0 of said shaft will be pulled and carried around the points usually designated as the dead-center, and thus the fatigue to the operator will be greatly reduced; and when the compound pitman and the osoillating foot-piece have been employed for some time for producing the revolution of the shaft U the simple swinging movement may again be brought into use by disconnecting the rod 9 from the pitman E and relatching the rod g to the bar H.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a treadle-movement for a sewing-machine, the combination of the pitman E, having adjustil'lg-notches m, the swinging supporting-bar F, having a pin, m, foot-piece G, rod g, and the driving-shaft 0, having wheel D, provided with a crank or wrist pin, 0, substantially as and for the purpose described.

i 2. The combination of the swinging supporting-bar F, provided with adjusting-pins m, foot-piece Gr, rod g, pitman. E, and drivingrod g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the pendent swinging bar F, foot-piece G, pitman E, and driving-shaft 0, provided with wheel D, having a crank-pin, 0, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the swinging bar F and the pitman E, having holes P, of the pivoted foot-piece Gr, provided with the rods 9 and g, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. ZEIGLER.

Witnesses: I

R0131. L. FENwIoK, E. '1. FENWIGK. 

